NEET MDS Lessons
General Pathology
Pathology gives explanations of a disease by studying the following four aspects of the disease.
1. Etiology,
2. Pathogenesis,
3. Morphologic changes and
4. Functional derangements and clinical significance.
1. Etiology Etiology of a disease means the cause of the disease. If the cause of a disease is known it is called primary etiology. If the cause of the disease is unknown it is called idiopathic. Knowledge or discovery of the primary cause remains the backbone on which a diagnosis can be made, a disease understood, & a treatment developed. There are two major classes of etiologic factors: genetic and acquired (infectious, nutritional, chemical, physical, etc).
2. Pathogenesis Pathogenesis means the mechanism through which the cause operates to produce the pathological and clinical manifestations. The pathogenetic mechanisms could take place in the latent or incubation period. Pathogenesis leads to morphologic changes.
3. Morphologic changes The morphologic changes refer to the structural alterations in cells or tissues that occur following the pathogenetic mechanisms. The structural changes in the organ can be seen with the naked eye or they may only be seen under the microscope. Those changes that can be seen with the naked eye are called gross morphologic changes & those that are seen under the microscope are called microscopic changes. the morphologic changes will lead to functional alteration & to the clinical signs & symptoms of the disease.
4. Functional derangements and clinical significance The morphologic changes in the organ influence the normal function of the organ. By doing so, they determine the clinical features (symptoms and signs), course, and prognosis of the disease.
Roseola
- alias exanthem subitum; caused by Herpes virus type 6.
- children 6 months to 2 years old; spring and fall; incubation 10-15 days.
- sudden onset of a high fever with absence of physical findings; febrile convulsions are particularly common.
- fever falls by crisis on the 3rd or 4th day → 48 hours after temperature returns to normal macular or maculopapular rash starting on the trunk and spreading centrifugally.
Thrombosis
Definition-The formation from constituents of the blood, of a mass within the venous or arterial vasculature of a living animal. Natural defense of the body to acute vascular injury.
Pathologic thrombosis includes deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism (PE), coronary artery thrombosis leading to myocardial infarct and cerebrovascular thrombosis leading to stroke.
Coagulated blood- clots formed
Clot – formation of solid mass of blood components formed outside the vascular tree
Thrombosis with resulting embolic phenomena is important cause of morbidity and mortality.
Haemostatic system allows blood to remain in fluid form under normal conditions and causes the development of temporary thrombus at site of vascular injury.
Components of haemostatic system:
1. Platelets
2. Vascular endothelium
3. Procoagulant plasma protein clotting factors
4. Natural anticoagulants
5. Fibrinolytic proteins
6. Antifibrinolytic proteins
Normal haemostasis:
1. Primary haemostasis-platelet plug formation
2. Secondary haemostasis-stable plug or thrombus
3. Natural anticoagulants-confines thrombus site and size to maintain blood flow
4. Fibrinolysis-degrades fibrin , limits thrombus size and dissolves thrombus once vessel injury is repaired
Changes in any of these factors may result in pathologic thrombosis.
Pathophysiology of thrombosis:
Virchow’s Triad-Thrombosis results from a) decreased blood flow b) vascular endothelial injury and c) alterations in the components of blood.
Vessel wall:
EC (intima), smooth muscle cells (media) and the connective tissue (adventitia).Vascular endothelium is thromboresistant. EC injury leads to TF expression and thrombosis.
Vessel wall has antiplatelet, anticoagulant and fibrinolytic activities which make it thromboresistant.
Antiplatelet activities:
1. Prostacyclin synthesized by EC in response to thrombin. Inhibits platelet adhesion as well as causes vasodilation
2. NO regulates vascular tone as well as functioning as inhibitor of platelet adhesion. Constitutive expression as well as induced expression by EC in response to cytokines
3. Ectozymes which metabolize ADP and ATP to AMP and adenosine. Adenosine inhibits platelet function, ADP is platelet agonist
Anticoagulant activities:
1. Synthesis of heparin like GAG which inactivate activated clotting factors
2. Protein C and S and thrombomodulin-Thrombin generated binds to thrombomodulin which activates protein C which then binds to Protein S and this inhibits coagulation by its proteolytic effect on Factors Va and VIIIa
3. TFPI is synthesized by EC and regulates TF-VIIa activation of Factor X. Also inhibits vascular cell proliferation
Fibrinolytic activities:
1. Secretion and synthesis of plasminogen activators TPA in response to thrombin and vasoactive stimulants such as vasopressin and histamine
2. Synthesis of urokinase in response to inflammatory cytokines
3. FDP’s generated have antiplatelet and antithrombin activity
4. Secretion of PAI
Prothrombotic properties of vascular endothelium promote coagulation with appropriates stimuli.
EC exposure to stimuli such as trauma, cytokines, atherogenic stimuli, endotoxins and immune complexes result in increased TF expression, reduced Protein C activation and reduced fibrinolysis so converting an antithrombotic surface to a prothrombotic surface.
Inherited conditions which result in abnormalities of EC derived or regulated proteins will cause thrombosis.
Arterial thrombosis:
1. Abnormal vessel wall due to atherosclerotic plaque rupture, arterial outflow obstruction, vessel dissection EC injury promote platelet adhesion and activation
2. Release of contents of platelet granules cause recruitment and activation of additional platelets
3. Thromboxane synthesis induces platelet aggregation
4. Thrombin generation due to presence of PL
Platelets are pathogenetically more important in arterial thrombi thus antiplatelet agents are very important in arterial thrombosis management.
Venous thrombosis:
1. Vessel wall is usually normal except if there is direct vessel trauma, extrinsic venous compression or damage due to drugs like chemotherapy
2. Reduction in venous tone is important in pathophysiology
Venous thrombi can be of two types.
A. Phlebo thrombosis
This is thrombus formation in an uninflammed vein usually due to stasis or changes in coagulability of blood. This occurs mostly in deep calf veins and varicose veins in the legs originating near valve pockets. They may propagate to extend to popliteal ,femoral and iliac-veins. These are a common source of massive emboli ‘Phlegmasia alba dolens’ (painful white leg) is a condition seen in late pregnancy and puerperium. In this condition, in addition to iliofemoral thrombosis , there is arterial spasm
B Thrombophlebitis:
In this condition venous wall is inflamed and initiates thrombosis. This is more firmly attached to the vessel wall and also there is much less tendency for propagation Hence there is little chance or embolism.
Cardiac Thrombosis
Intra cardiac thrombus formation can be at 3 sites
• Valvular: as in endocarditis
• Atrial : as in atrial fibrilation ('ball valve thrombus") over MacCallum’s patch is Rheumatic Fever.
• Ventricular mural thrombus over site of MI
Fate of Thrombus
- Resolution : if small, the thrombus is rapidly covered by endothelial cells. Then it can Resolved by a combination of retraction, phgocytosis , platelet autolysis, and fibrinolysis
- Organisation: there is in growth of vascular granulation tissue. This can result in
a. recanalisation
b. collagenisation and-scarring
- Detachment resulting in thromboembolism
Staphylococcal Infection
Staphylococci, including pathogenic strains, are normal inhabitants of the nose and skin of most healthy people
Virulence factors include coagulase (which clots blood), hemolysin, and protein A (which ties up Fc portions of antibodies). Although we have antibodies against staphylococci, they are of limited usefulness.
Staphylococci (and certain other microbes) also produce catalase, which breaks down H2O2, rendering phagocytes relatively helpless against them.
The coagulase-positive staphylococcus (Staphylococcus pyogenes var. aureus) is a potent pathogen. It tends to produce localized infection
It is the chief cause of bacterial skin abscesses. Infection spreads from a single infected hair (folliculitis) or splinter to involve the surrounding skin and subcutaneous tissues
Furuncles are single pimples
carbuncles are pimple clusters linked by tracks of tissue necrosis which involve the fascia.
Impetigo is a pediatric infection limited to the stratum corneum of the skin -- look for honey-colored crusts
Staphylococcal infections of the nail-bed (paronychia) and palmar fingertips (felons) are especially painful and destructive
These staph are common causes of wound infections (including surgical wounds) and of a severe, necrotizing pneumonia. Both are serious infections in the hospitalized patient.
Staph is the most common cause of synthetic vascular graft infections. Certain sticky strains grow as a biofilm on the grafts
Staph aureus is pathogenic, β-hemolytic, and makes coagulase.
Staph epidermidis are non-pathogenic strains that don’t make coagulase. Often Antibiotics resistant, and can become opportunistic infections in hospitals.
Staph aureus is normal flora in the nose and on skin, but can also colonize moist areas such as perineum. Causes the minor infections after cuts. Major infections occur with lacerations or immune compromise, where large number of cocci are introduced.
While Staph aureus can invade the gut directly (invasive staphylococcal enterocolitis), it is much more common to encounter food poisoning due to strains which have produced enterotoxin B, a pre-formed toxin in un-refrigerated meat or milk products
Staph epidermidis (Coagulase-negative staphylococci)
Universal normal flora but few virulence factors. Often antibiotic resistant.
Major cause of foreign body infections such as prosthetic valve endocarditis and IV line sepsis.
Staph saprophyticus
Common cause of UTI in women.
Pathogenicity
Dominant features of S. aureus infections are pus, necrosis, scarring. The infections are patchy. Serious disease is rare because we are generally immune. However, foreign bodies or necrotic tissue can start an infection. Staph infections include wound infections, foreign body sepsis, pneumonia, meningitis.
Occassionally, S. aureus can persist within cells.
Major disease presentations include:
--Endocarditis
--Abscesses (due to coagulase activity)
--Toxic Shock
--Wound infections
--Nosocomial pneumonia
Prevention of Staph aureus infections
S. aureus only lives on people, so touching is the main mode of transmission. Infected patients should be isolated, but containment is easy with intense hand washing.
Huntington’s disease
a. Causes dementia.
b. Genetic transmission: autosomal dominant.
c. Characterized by the degeneration of striatal neurons, affecting cortical and basal ganglia function.
d. Clinically, the disease affects both movement and cognition and is ultimately fatal.
Immunodeficiency
This may be :-
- Congenital (Primary)
- Acquired (Secondary)
Features : Complete or near complete lack of T & B lymphoid tissue. Fatal early in life Even with marrow grafting, chances of graft versus host reaction is high.
B. T Cell Defects :
- Thymic dysplasia
- Digeorge’s syndrome
- Nazelof’s syndrome
- Ataxia teltngiectaisa
- Wiscott Aldrich’s syndrome
These lessons show predominantly defective cell mediated immunity. But they may also show partial immunoglobulin defects cell mediated immunity. But they may also show partial immunoglobulin defects due to absence og T-B co-operation.
C. Humoral immunity defects.
Bruron type- aggammaglobulinaemia.
- Dysgammaglobulinaemias-variable immunodeficiency’s of one or more classes.
Acquired deficiency
A. Immuno suppression by :
- Irradiation.
- Corticoids.
- Anti metabolites.
- Anti lymphocyte serum.
B. Neaplasia of lymphoid system :
- Hodgkin's and Non Hodgkin's lymphomas.
- Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia..
- Multime myeloma and other paraproteinaemias (normal immunoglobulins reduced in spite of hyperglobulinaemia).
c. excessive protein loss.
- Nephrotic Syndrome.
- Protein losing enteropathy.
Measles (rubeola)
-incubation period 7 to 14 days
-begins with fever (up to 40 degrees C), cough, conjunctivitis (photophobia is first sign), and coryza (excessive mucous production)Æfollowed by Koplik's spots (red with white center) in the mouth, posterior cervical Lymphadenopathy, and a generalized, blanching, maculopapular, brownish-pink rash (viral induced vasculitis) beginning at the hairline and extending down over the body which gradually resolves in 5 days with some desquamation.